1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to alarm systems for patient physiological data monitoring instruments. In particular, the present invention relates to an alarm escalation system including mechanisms for indicating a level of criticality of alarms corresponding to physiological measurements and equipment status indicators of patient monitoring devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present invention, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
Patient monitors include medical devices that facilitate observation of patient physiological data. For example, a typical patient monitor detects and displays a patient's vital signs continually. This improves patient care by facilitating continuous supervision of a patient without continuous attendance by a human observer (e.g., a nurse or physician). Typically, patient monitors include alarm systems that provide audible and/or visual indications of certain predefined conditions. For example, some patient monitors include alarms that are triggered based on physiological conditions (e.g., high and low patient heart rate thresholds, arterial oxyhemoglobin saturation) or status indicators for the monitor itself (e.g., power loss). These alarms further facilitate supervision of patients and improve patient care by providing caregivers with warnings concerning certain monitored conditions. Generally, such alarms remain in an alarm state until acknowledged by a user. For example, an audible alarm for a patient's abnormal systolic condition may continue to sound until a user presses an acknowledge button that silences the alarm and indicates that the alarm has been recognized. Such audible alarms for patient monitors generally incorporate unchanging alarm tones or auditory effects. It is now recognized that such unchanging alarms tend to cause patient monitor users/operators (e.g., nurses, physicians, and caregivers) to become desensitized to ongoing and unacknowledged audible alarms.